The Author's POV

"I warned you didn't I?"

Honestly, though I expected something to happen I didn't expect it to happen right after I returned from my toilet trip.

It felt as if I missed out on all of the fun.

"it's you?"

Releasing Amanda, Elijah stood up and looked at me who had just come back from the bathroom.

"kuhh...huff...huff!"

Looking at Amanda who was gripping her neck heavily gulping for air I pretty much got the gist of what was happening.

The event had already started.

"Rank 1750 Ren Dover"

"...hm? Yes?"

Turning my attention back to Elijah who had just called me, I instantly noticed his relaxed attitude.

The way he was looking at me irked me, but I didn't say anything. Judging from the pressure he was releasing he was at least rank if not rank.

But fortunately for me, thanks to all the training I did, the pressure wasn't weighing down on me much. The fact that he was primarily focused on Amanda also helped me.

Judging from how relaxed he seemed, it looked like he didn't see me as a threat.

'Perfect'

Smirking to myself, I started to devise a plan.

well...since he was looking down on me, I may as well capitalize on his carelessness.

You see...one of the greatest things about keeping a low profile was that no one knew what you were truly capable of.

This especially worked in my favor as the [Keiki style] was primarily a one hit one kill sword art.

All I needed was one clean hit and he was done for.

The fact that I kept a low profile and chose not to expose my strength helped me buy an opening.

In fact, even though I said all of this, I wasn't really confident even if I caught him by surprise.

Although there was a chance I could kill him if I was really lucky, those chances were slim.

It just wasn't easy to bridge the gap between F and D ranks. Though I practiced a peerless five-star manual technique, I would at most be able to graze him if I confronted him directly. He was just that much better than me...

Each rank was fundamentally different from the other. Each rank increase was like an increase in strength by a factor greater than 2.

Bridging one rank was already hard for me, two? Almost impossible.

If not for his arrogance, those chances would've never been higher than zero.

Knowing this, I had prepared beforehand.

Having learned my lesson since the dungeon incident, I devised a little safe plan for me in case the situation turned serious.

Before coming to the party, I messaged Thomas and asked him for a favor.

Since I more or less knew something was going to happen at the party, I predicted that Elijah was going to install some sort of dimensional space which prevented any outside interference.

A dimensional space was a pocket dimension separate from the outside world. Everything that happened inside of the dimension was separate from the real world preventing anyone from noticing that something was wrong. It created an illusion to people making it seem that everything was normal, when in fact something else was going on inside. No sound or transmissions could be leaked preventing people from calling for backup. It was the perfect device to hide a crime.

Knowing this, when I messaged Thomas, I specifically told him that if by chance in the next four hours my phone suddenly lost signal, he was to send an encrypted message to Alexander Stern, Amanda's father as well as the authorities.

In the message, I directly wrote that a villain was attacking this specific location and many students were in danger, I also emphasized that Amanda was one of the said students.

foolproof, because I had asked Thomas, who was a high ranking member of the black market to send the

all I had to do was stall for

the floor passed out, I knew that I didn't have much time. Though this may have

didn't know what was in their

was unfavorable, I knew I had

my skill bar, I instantly used my

[Monarch's indifference]

to change. The hall, the people, the furniture, everything in my eyes slowly changed. Everything no longer looked like what it was before. Slowly,

down. Following my heartbeat, my breathing became even and I felt all my emotions leaving my

longer cared for everyone in the hall. I no longer cared about Elijah. I

chess

...

"w-what's happening?"

Ren's legs staggered. Leaning against the wall, Ren heavily panted for

why

who was staggering all over the place

seems like you're somewhat immune to the drug...pity that in the end because you are so weak the drug still affected

wide eyes, Ren

"D-drug?"

sorry but I don't have much time to talk with someone as insignificant as

towards Ren's direction, Elijah's eyes were

see...I have bone to pick with

"khh"

the hair, Elijah coldly looked

repeatedly yawned

-Slap!

face until a red mark appeared on his

-Slap!

should sit quietly and listen

-Slap!

dared

-Slap!

fun with Amanda you came

-Slap!

your lack of tact for the fact that

slowly turned purple as his lips

scene in the distance, Amanda barely managed to

...was he all talk?

had warned her, Amanda thought that maybe he was hiding his strength. Moreover, the way he showed up looking all fine told her that he was hiding his strength, but

to gather all her remaining energy to shoot Elijah, she felt two cold

looking at her. Though he was being slapped continuously by Elijah, his eyes never wavered. They were the eyes of a predator that

was doing, Amanda looked

still

in pain, his eyes which were devoid of any emotion were staring at her almost as if telling her 'not

clenched her teeth and quietly gathered all the mana

inexplicable feeling that only if she listened to him would she be able to get

slowly accumulating the mana into her bow, Ren smirked

and yet

-Slap!

the slap landed on Ren's face, his head twisted to the side

-Slap!

the other side, Ren's face twisted to the other side doing

for it, I will gladly pick

-Slap! -Slap! -Slap!

minutes, the loud sounds of slaps reverberated across the hall. Soon, Elijah stopped as he looked down. Beneath him,

"Let's end this"

he was sure that no one was going to

in length becoming extremely sharp at

"Goodbye"

-Wooosh!

was about pierce Ren in the neck, he heard